Rights defenders hope Washington will help secure Rabkova’s release

September 17, Pozirk. A solidarity rally in support of jailed Belarusian rights defender Marfa Rabkova took place in Vilnius today, marking the fifth anniversary of her arrest.
Participants gathered at Vincas Kudirka Square, holding photos of Rabkova arranged to form the message “Free Marfa.”

“We truly hope she will be among those released as part of the so-called deal [between Alaksandar Łukašenka] and [US President Donald] Trump,” Viasna’s lawyer Pavieł Sapiełka told Pozirk.
Rabkova, who coordinated Viasna’s volunteer service, has been held behind bars since her arrest in September 2020. In 2022, she was given 15 years in prison on charges widely seen as politically motivated. Later, the Supreme Court reduced her sentence by three months.
Last week, Łukašenka pardoned a group of 52 regime critics, including prominent opposition figures and journalists, following his meeting with John Coale, US deputy special envoy to Ukraine.
Belarusian officials say that Minsk has engaged in talks with Washington since mid-2024. Since then, the Belarusian ruler has pardoned more than 300 imprisoned regime critics.
Belarus frees more than 50 political prisoners
- PoliticsReprisals: police arrest nearly all staff of ZROBIM architectsThe material is available only to POZIRK+
- SocietyCichanoŭskaja’s aide briefs Lithuanian authorities on woes facing Belarusian migrantsThe material is available only to POZIRK+
- Politics, Security
- Criminal cases opened against three farm managers over cow deathsThe material is available only to POZIRK+
- SocietyBelarus’ activists to stage events “for nuclear-free Belarus” on Chernobyl accident anniversaryThe material is available only to POZIRK+
- SocietyWeather balloons with smuggled cigarettes spotted over PolandThe material is available only to POZIRK+
- Politics, SecurityMigration pressure mounts on Latvia, LithuaniaThe material is available only to POZIRK+
- PoliticsBelarus’ interior ministry adds 37 persons to list of extremistsThe material is available only to POZIRK+
- Politics, SocietyViasna denounces passport annulments as abuse of government powerThe material is available only to POZIRK+
- Economy
- PoliticsŁukašenka receives credentials from envoys of Japan, North Korea, other countriesThe material is available only to POZIRK+
- EconomyCore inflation slows to 6.4 percent in MarchThe material is available only to POZIRK+
- EconomyBiełstat: consumer prices up 0.6 percent in MarchThe material is available only to POZIRK+
- Politics
- Politics, SocietyCustoms chief: 1,300 stranded trucks leave Belarus after paying parking feesThe material is available only to POZIRK+
- Politics, SecurityRussia returns remains of 1,000 Ukrainian soldiers via BelarusThe material is available only to POZIRK+
- Politics, Security, SocietyVilnius airport halts operations for seven hours over balloon incursionsThe material is available only to POZIRK+
- Politics, Society
- SocietyPoland to allow Belarusians with foreigner’s identity document to open bank accountsThe material is available only to POZIRK+
- PoliticsKGB labels online chats for relatives of people behind bars as “extremist group”The material is available only to POZIRK+


